Combination golf caddie car and golf bag

ABSTRACT

A collapsible golf caddie car in which the elements of the caddie car are movable from a collapsed position wholly within a recess in a golf bag to an operative position outside the recess.

United States Patent 1 1 McDonnell 1 Aug. 19, 1975 COMBINATION GOLFCADDIE CAR AND GOLF BAG [76] lnventor: Tomas Paul McDonnell, 143 LowerKilmacud Rd., Stillorgan, County Dublin, Ireland [22] Filed: Oct. 19,1972 [21] Appl. No.1 298,808

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 26, 1971 Ireland 1356/71 52us. C1 280/36 0; 280/42; 280/DIG. 6 51 im. C1. B62b 1/20 581FieldofSearch 280/36 c, 38, 39, 4o, 42,

280/DIG. 6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,782 8/1956 Hartzell280/36 C 2,782,048 2/1957 Williams 280/42 2,926,925 3/1960 Ozlek v280/42 2,955,834 10/1960 Jaskey 280/42 Primary Examiner-David SchonbergAssistant Examir'ierMichael J. Forman Attorney, Agent, or FirmOstrolenk,Faber, Gerb & Soffen [5 7] ABSTRACT A collapsible golf caddie car inwhich the elements of the caddie car are movable from a collapsedposition wholly within a recess in a golf bag to an operative positionoutside the recess.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] we] 9 I975 SHEET 1 [IF 2 PATENTEDAUG] 9l975 'sm 2 OF 2 COMBINATION GOLF CADDIE CAR AND GOLF BAG Thepresent invention concerns improvements in and relating to golf caddiecars and containers and particularly to collapsible golf caddie cars andcontainers.

According to the invention there is provided a collapsible golf caddiecar including a frame, and a golf club container wherein the elements ofthe caddie car are movable from a collapsed position in or alongside theclub containerto an operative position substantially wholly outside thecontainer.

Advantageously, the golf bag or container is substantially rigid and theelements constituting the caddie car are movable from a collapsedposition in a recess in the golf bag or container to an operativeposition substantially wholly outside the recess. The bag or containeritself is or has in it aframe. Preferably a strut pivotally connected tothe frame at a position inside the recess carries a handle member andwheel support legs to which wheels may be attached in the operativeposition of the caddie car. i

In one preferred construction according to the invention, there isprovided a collapsible golf caddie car including a frame supporting,inter alia, a frame element, a strut pivotally connected at one endthereof ,to the frame element anddepending therefrom, wheel support legshingedly connected to the other end of the strut, and a handle memberpivotally connected to the strut adjacent the pivoted end of the strut.

Advantageously, the frame constitutes or is adapted to support a golfbag or container at one sidethereinafter defined as the front side) ofwhich is provided a re cess for accommodating the strut, wheel legsupports and handle member inthe collapsed position thereof, wherein thestrut. handle member and wheel support legs may all conveniently bedisposed substantially parallel to the golf bag or container axis.

In moving from the collapsed position to the opera tive position, thehandle member is pivoted from the collapsed position in which the handlemember lies alongside the strut, to the operative position in which thehandle member is releasably secured to the frame at an angle, andpreferably at an obtuse angle, to the strut. Pivotal movement of thehandle member from its collapsed position in said recess to itsoperative position causes pivotal movement of the strut from itscollapsed position in said recess to its operative position in which thestrut is substantially wholly outside the recess. In the last-mentionedposition of the strut, the wheel support legs may be hingedly moved fromtheir collapsed positions to their operative positions in which thewheel support legs are detachably secured together and in which eachdefines an obtuse angle with the strut. In the operative position, thehandle member, strut and wheel support legs may conveniently adopt thepositions of a conventional twowheeled golf caddie car. Removable wheelsmay be screwed or otherwise secured to axles provided on the wheelsupport legs, in the operative positions of the latter.

Advantageously, the frame element is disposed transversely of thecontainer axis and at an angle of less than 90 to the front side of thecontainer.

The invention also provides a container which is advantageouslyrectangular in cross-section, the frame element being supported by anl-shaped frame member I defining a plane disposed transversely of thecontainer 'axis, intermediate the ends of the container, and an FIG. 1is a side elevation of the golf caddie car in its operative position,portion of the golf container being v broken away,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow II in FIG.1,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing the elementsof the caddie car in a collapsed position, the near side and recessdefining panel of the container being omitted,

FIG. 4 is an elevation looking in the direction of arrow IV, of .FIG. 3,with the handle member omitted,

and

FIG. 5 is an elevation, in the direction of arrow V of FIG. 3 showing anumber of the elements of the caddie car.

Referring to the drawings, the. golf caddie car comprises a l-shapedframe member 11 fixed to a rigid golf bag structure 12 having a hingedtop 13. Fixed to bridge member 11a of the frame member 11 is a frameelement 10, on which is pivoted at point 14 a depending strut l5 movablefrom a rest position wholly within a recess 16 in the bag structure 12to an operative position generally outside the recess 16. Hinged to thestrut 15 at point 17 located below-point 14, is a handle member l8alsomovable from a rest position wholly within the recess 16 to an operativeposition substantially wholly outside the recess 16. In the operativeposition shown in FIG. l, the handle member 18 is secured by a springloaded catch 19 pivotedat point 22 to the frame element 10. Movement ofthe handle 18 from its rest position causes movement of the strut 15from the rest to the operative position of the latter.

The free end of the depending strut 15 has a disc 23 to which ispivotally connected, by pin 24, a pair of discs 25. To each of the discs25 is rigidly connected a wheel support leg 26 and to each of the wheelsupport legs 26 is removably secured a wheel 27 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Afurther pin 28 (FIG. 2) which passes through cooperating apertures 29and 30 in the discs 23 and 25, serves to maintain the wheel support legs26 and wheels 27 in the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

When it is desired to assemble the caddie car for operational use, thehandle member 18 is moved in the direction shown by arrow X in FIG. 3until the operative position shown in FIG. I is reached, in whichposition the handle member 18 is held until subsequent release, by latch19 which co-operates with a spud 31 on the handle member 18. Movement ofthe handle member 18 to its operative position causes movement of thedepending strut 15 to the position shown in FIG. 1, in which positionthe wheel support legs 26 may be moved in the direction of arrows Y inFIG. 4. When the wheel support legs 26 reach the limit of the hingablemovement as shown in FIG. 2, and as determined by stop member 32 onstrut 15 the wheel support legs 26 are held in that position by passingpin 28 through aperture 29 in disc 23 and apertures 30 in discs 25. Theremovable wheels 27 may then be assembled on the horizontally disposedleg extension or axle elements 33 shown in FIG. 2. The assemblyprocedure is reversed to return the caddie car to the collapsed positionshown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a rigid golf bag or container 12 in whichthe plane of the l-shaped frame ll is inclined relative to the base 35of the bag. To the lowermost side of the frame ll is hinged the bag lidor top 13 in which the wheels 27 may be secured when not in use, asshown by dotted lines in FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A combination golf bag and caddie car comprising:

a golf bag container; said container having a first side; an elongatedrecess into said container through said first side and extending alongsaid container and said container first side; a frame element on saidcontainer and communicating into said recess such that a strut extendinginto said recess can be connected to said frame element;

an elongated strut having an upper end that extends into said recess andthat is pivotally connected to said frame element at a first pivot; saidstrut being pivotable about said first pivot out of said recess andwholly into said recess; said strut having a lower end;

a handle member including an elongated arm; said handle member having arespective third end that is pivotally connected to said strutintermediate said ends of said strut at a second pivot on said strut,such that drawing said handle member out of said recess pivots saidstrut out of said recess; said handle member being of a length and beingat an orientation to fit within said recess and to be pivotable betweena rest position in said recess and alongside said strut and an operativeposition outside said recess; between said rest and said operativepositions, said handle member being swept through an obtuse angle;

wheel support legs hingedly connected to said lower end of said strutfor movement from a first position in which said wheel support legs liealongside of and substantially parallel to said strut to a secondposition in which said wheel support legs are located below and at anangle to said strut and are also located in a plane perpendicular to themotion of said strut under the influence of said handle member; saidwheel support legs being movable into both of said first and secondpositions when said strut is located outside said recess and being atsaid first position when said strut is located inside said recess;wheels detachably mounted on said support legs.

2. A portable combination golf bag and caddie car as defined in claim 1,further comprising:

a respective first disc to which each said wheel support leg is rigidlyconnected; a further disc secured to said strut; a common third pivot onand eccentric to said further disc;

said first discs being supported eccentric to themselves on said thirdpivot;

said discs and said third pivot being so shaped and positioned that saiddiscs are coaxial when said wheel support legs are in their respectivesaid second positions;

a stop member on said strut for engaging said wheel support legs and forstopping further movement thereof in the direction toward said secondposition of those said legs.

3. A portable combination golf bag and caddie car as defined in claim 1,further comprising:

latch means pivotally connected at a fourth pivot to said frame elementand means on said handle member for being engaged by said latch means;said latch means being adapted to releasably retain and secure saidhandle member in said operative position thereof.

4. A portable combination golf bag and caddie car as defined in claim 3,wherein said golf bag container has a base; said frame element beingdisposed at an angle 40 to said base and being inclined, from saidcontainer first side having said recess, downwardly toward the oppositeside of said container; said frame element serving as a division in themouth of said golf bag container. l l

1. A combination golf bag and caddie car comprising: a golf bagcontainer; said container having a first side; an elongated recess intosaid container through said first side and extending along saidcontainer and said container first side; a frame element on saidcontainer and communicating into said recess such that a strut extendinginto said recess can be connected to said frame element; an elongatedstrut having an upper end that extends into said recess and that ispivotally connected to said frame element at a first pivot; said strutbeing pivotable about said first pivot out of said recess and whollyinto said recess; said strut having a lower end; a handle memberincluding an elongated arm; said handle member having a respective thirdend that is pivotally connected to said strut intermediate said ends ofsaid strut at a second pivot on said strut, such that drawing saidhandle member out of said recess pivots said strut out of said recess;said handle member being of a length and being at an orientation to fitwithin said recess and to be pivotable between a rest position in saidrecess and alongside said strut and an operative position outside saidrecess; between said rest and said operative positions, said handlemember being swept through an obtuse angle; wheel support legs hingedlyconnected to said lower end of said strut for movement from a firstposition in which said wheel support legs lie alongside of andsubstantially parallel to said strut to a second position in which saidwheel support legs are located below and at an angle to said strut andare also located in a plane perpendicular to the motion of said strutunder the influence of said handle member; said wheel support legs beingmovable into both of said first and second positions when said strut islocated outside said recess and being at said first position when saidstrut is located inside said recess; wheels detachably mounted on saidsupport legs.
 2. A portable combination golf bag and caddie car asdefined in claim 1, further comprising: a respective first disc to whicheach said wheel support leg is rigidly connected; a further disc securedto said strut; a common third pivot on and eccentric to said furtherdisc; said first discs being supported eccentric to themselves on saidthird pivot; said discs and said third pivot being so shaped andpositioned that said discs are coaxial when said wheel support legs arein their respective said second positions; a stop member on said strutfor engaging said wheel support legs and for stopping further movementthereof in the direction toward said second position of those said legs.3. A portable combination golf bag and caddie car as defined in claim 1,further comprising: latch means pivotally connected at a fourth pivot tosaid frame element and means on said handle member for being engaged bysaid latch means; said latch means being adapted to releasably retainand secure said handle member in said operative position thereof.
 4. Aportable combination golf bag and caddie car as defined in claim 3,wherein said golf bag container has a base; said frame element beingdisposed at an angle to said base and being inclined, from saidcontainer first side having said recess, downwardly toward the oppositeside of said container; said frame element serving as a division in themouth of said golf bag container.